With Bridgerton season 4 already filming, it was incredibly important that the show didn’t continue the annoying trend that’s often seen with characters like Daphne and Anthony. Based on the book series of the same name, Bridgerton follows the love lives of the eight Bridgerton siblings. The hit show debuted on Netflix in December 2020, and the next two seasons have been just as successful as the first.
With a rotating cast, each season of Bridgerton focuses on a different sibling, with the first season focusing on Daphne, the fourth eldest sibling. Bridgerton season 2 focuses on the eldest sibling, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton. For season 3, Bridgerton deviated from the order of the books and instead tells the love story between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington. It has been confirmed that Bridgerton season 4 will focus on Benedict Bridgerton’s relationship with Sophie Baek, but viewers are wondering if Colin and Penelope will be treated as poorly as previous leads Daphne and Anthony.
The idea of each season of Bridgerton focusing on a different sibling is a genius idea; however, in the books, all the siblings are still main characters, even if the focus is not on them. Unfortunately, this did not happen in Bridgerton seasons 2 and 3. Fans were quick to notice that in Bridgerton season 2, Regé-Jean Page, who plays Simon, was absent, meaning viewers were unable to see how Daphne and Simon’s love story continued after season 1. This ultimately led to Daphne being absent from Bridgerton season 3 altogether, despite her major role in Colin and Penelope’s books.
Although both Anthony and his wife Kate appeared in Bridgerton season 3, they were absent from many episodes and even when they were present, they were relegated to the background. While Jonathan Bailey’s busy schedule led to filming restrictions, it seems like a cop-out that the heads of the Bridgerton family were largely absent. While there’s nothing that can be done about Jonathan Bailey’s schedule, Kate should have been in more solo scenes, as the Viscount and Viscountess are rarely seen apart.
The previous main Bridgerton characters have been largely ignored in recent seasons of the show, but that can’t be said for Colin and Penelope. The trend with Daphne and Anthony is surprising, but, aside from the main Bridgerton siblings, Penelope is arguably the main character of the show due to her role as Lady Whistledown. Bridgerton season 3 hints that Penelope hasn’t written, although she no longer writes under her pen name. For that reason alone, Penelope’s story demands prominence.
With siblings like Francesca and Eloise heading to Scotland at the end of Bridgerton season 3, more time could be spent on other siblings like Colin and Penelope, or even Anthony, Kate, and their newborn. It’s unclear which Bridgerton siblings will return for season 4, but viewers could see the cast cut back. While Benedict’s story of finding love with Sophie should be the main focus, Bridgerton would be missing out if it didn’t continue Colin and Penelope’s storyline from previous seasons.
